Deflector



March 21, 1967 R. c. CLARK 3,310,157

DEFLECTOR Original Filed Nov. 1. 1962 INVENTOR.

ROBERT C. CLARK Y M WfM ATTORNEY! United States Patent 3,310,157DEFLECTOR Robert C. Clark, Asheville, N.C., assignor to EngineeringAssociates Incorporated, Asheville, N.C., a corporation of NorthCarolina Original application Nov. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 234,956, now PatentNo. 3,186,448, dated June 1, 1965. Divided and this application Apr. 2,1965, Ser. No. 445,166 4 Claims. (Cl. 198-68) This invention relates toa deflector for alternately diverting the flow of material in one of twoopposite directions and is particularly suitable for use in apparatussuch as disclosed in my copending United States application, Ser. No.234,956, filed Nov. 1, 1962, now Patent No. 3,186,448, and entitled,Method and Apparatus for Filling and Packing Containers; the presentapplication being a division of the latter.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a noveldeflector that is highly effective and eflicient in operation whilehaving a rugged and economical construction which will providedependable service over long periods of continuous use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a deflector ofthe aforedescn'bed type that is not adversely affected in its operationby the weight of material being deflected.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide such adeflector which is also capable of dividing the flow of material bysimultaneously diverting portions of the flow in opposite directions.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, with certain portions broken away andothers shown in section, of a system incorporating a deflector embodyingthe present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the deflector included in the systemof FIG. 1 but with the deflector shown in an alternate position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a deflector generally designated18', embodying the present invention, is shown for illustrative purposesonly as being included in apparatus for filling and packing a pair ofhorizontally spaced containers 12 and 12L with fibrous material such astobacco. In the shown apparatus, the tobacco is initially placed on afeed conveyer 14 which deposits the tobacco on deflector 18' which inturn alternately diverts the tobacco in opposite lateral directionsbelow conveyer 14.

Situated below deflector 18' to receive the deflected tobacco are a pairof delivery conveyers 16 and 16L which convey the tobacco to associatedshields 30 and 30L coaxially mounted on chargers 24 and 24L which inturn are mounted on containers 12 and 12L respectively. Tobaccodeposited into shields 30 and 30L is uniformly distributed by conicaldistributors 32 and 32L which are movable between extended and retractedpositions over and to one side of the chargers respectively. After apredetermined amount of tobacco is introduced into the containers 12,12L, the associated distributor is actuated into a retracted position asillustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 1 to permit a pressing plunger orram 22, 22L to descend into the container to pack the same to a desireddensity. In the shown apparatus While one container 12, 12L is beingpacked by pressing plunger 22, 22L, the other container is being filledwith tobacco through means of the feed conveyer 14, deflector 18', andone of the delivery conveyers 16, 16L. When the desired weight oftobacco is introduced into the container being filled,

ice

the deflector 18 is actuated to divert the incoming flow of tobacco tothe opposite station where the container which was previously packed hasbeen removed and replaced by another container to be filled.

Except for deflector 18' the present invention is not particularlyconcerned with the aforegoing method and apparatus for filling andpacking the containers and therefore further description in this regardis believed unnecessary. However, a more detailed description of thismethod and apparatus may be obtained from my copending applicationidentified above.

In accordance with the present invention, deflector 18' comprises a'pairof preferably planar sections 18a and 18b suitably hinged about a pin 20for independent pivotable movement about pin 20. Pin 20 is suitablysupported in housing 10 in a horizontal fixed position, and deflectorsections 18a and 18b are constructed and mounted to pin 20 such thatthey are capable of falling under their own weight about pin 20. In theshown embodiment deflector sections 18a and 18b are pivotable betweengravity-obtained positions against associated stops 21, 21L and actuatedpositions spaced from associated stops 21, 21L. Stops 21 and 21L in thespecific embodiment are formed separately and are suitably supported byhousing 10 in the proper fixed position shown as being below pivot pin20 and equally spaced on opposite sides thereof.

In order to alternately actuate deflector sections 18a and 18b intopositions spaced from their associated stops 21 and 21L, an oscillatablelever 17 is suitably mounted for rotation about a rod 19. In the shownembodiment one end of lever 17 is positioned to alternately engage theunderside of deflector sections to pivot the same away from theirassociated stops 21, 21L into a raised position for switching thedirection of the flow of material. Moreover, lever 17 with its free endalso serves to support deflector sections 18a, 18b in their raisedpositions. Actuation of lever 17 in opposite directions may beaccomplished in any suitable manner.

To explain operation of the deflector, let it be assumed that thedeflector is in the position shown in FIG. 1 wherein tobacco isdeflected on delivery conveyer 16 to be ultimately deposited in theright hand container 12. In this position of the deflector, section 18ais engaged against its stop 21L while section 1812 is supported in araised position in line with section 18a. by lever 17. When container 12is filled to the desired degree, actuating lever 17 is rotated in acounter-clockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 1 into theposition shown in FIG. 2. An actuating lever 17 disengages fromsupporting contact with deflector section 1812, the latter will falluntil it engages its associated stop 21L. Meanwhile, lever 17 continuesto rotate in the counter-clockwise direction to engage the otherdeflector section 18a and pivot it upwardly away from stop 21 untildeflector section 18a becomes aligned in the same plane with deflectorsection 18b whereupon the direction of tobacco flow is reversed todelivery conveyer 16L for ultimate discharge into container 12L.

Although deflector 18' has been described above in connection withalternate feeding of the tobacco to one of the two containers 12, 12L,it will be appreciated that the deflector 18 may be applied in anothermanner. For example where it is desired to have both of the containersfilled at the same time, actuating lever 17 may be rotated into aneutral position where it is disengaged from both deflector sections18a, 18b to thus cause both deflector sections to engage at the sametime against their associated stops 21 and 21L. In this manner, thetobacco flow from feed conveyer 14 is simultaneously divided betweenconveyers 16 and 16L to feed both containers 12, 12L at the same time.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modificationsand adaptations of the structure above described will become readilyapparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the inventioncovered by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A deflector for diverting flow of material from a supply meanscomprising; a pin member axially supported in a plane at right angles tothe path of flow of material, a pair of deflector sections hingedlyconnected to the pin member, a pair of laterally spaced stop membersdisposed beneath the pin member on opposite sides of the pin member,each of the stop members being engageable by a deflector section tosupport the section between the pin member and stop member to divert theflow of material, and an actuating member movable to alternately moveone or the other of the deflector sections out of engagement with itsassociated stop member to an aligned position relative to the otherdeflector section whereby flow of material is divided into oppositepaths when both deflector sections are engaged with their associatedstop members and a single path when one of the deflector sections issupported by said actuating member in alignment With the other deflectorsection.

2. A deflector for diverting material from a supply source comprising; apair of deflector sections, means mounting said deflector sections forpivotal movement about a fixed generally horizontal axis, stop means forlimiting pivotal movement of said sections in counter directions underthe influence of gravity, and actuating References Cited by the ExaminerUNITED STATES PATENTS 280,184 6/1883 Jewell 198-53 X 931,054 8/1909Gardner 198-67 951,740 3/1910 McCracken 193-31 1,011,048 12/1911 Gardner198-72 1,178,674 4/1916 Pletscher 193-31 1,580,176 4/1926 Stone 198-49 X2,627,356 2/1953 Bell 198-68 X FOREIGN PATENTS 695,833 9/1940 Germany.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner.

M. L, AIEMAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DEFLECTOR FOR DIVERTING FLOW OF MATERIAL FROM A SUPPLY MEANSCOMPRISING; A PIN MEMBER AXIALLY SUPPORTED IN A PLANE AT RIGHT ANGLES TOTHE PATH OF FLOW OF MATERIAL, A PAIR OF DEFLECTOR SECTIONS HINGEDLYCONNECTED TO THE PIN MEMBER, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED STOP MEMBERSDISPOSED BENEATH THE PIN MEMBER ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PIN MEMBER,EACH OF THE STOP MEMBERS BEING ENGAGEABLE BY A DEFLECTOR SECTION TOSUPPORT THE SECTION BETWEEN THE PIN MEMBER AND STOP MEMBER TO DIVERT THEFLOW OF MATERIAL, AND AN ACTUATING MEMBER MOVABLE TO ALTERNATELY MOVEONE OR THE OTHER OF THE DEFLECTOR SECTIONS OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH ITSASSOCIATED STOP MEMBER TO AN ALIGNED POSITION RELATIVE TO THE OTHERDEFLECTOR SECTION WHEREBY FLOW OF MATERIAL IS DIVIDED INTO OPPOSITEPATHS WHEN BOTH DEFLECTOR SECTIONS ARE ENGAGED WITH THEIR ASSOCIATEDSTOP MEMBERS AND A SINGLE PATH WHEN ONE OF THE DEFLECTOR SECTIONS ISSUPPORTED BY SAID ACTUATING MEMBER IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE OTHER DEFLECTORSECTION.